


March of the Penguins

by aussiebee



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fluff, Forgive Me, M/M, Oh My God, Penguins, The Author Regrets Nothing, There is a penguin pun in this, This Is STUPID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 08:50:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21268319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aussiebee/pseuds/aussiebee
Summary: Derek and Stiles meet in a very unlikely place. Stiles sort of has a secret. There are penguins.





	March of the Penguins

“Oh shit, I’m sorry!”

Derek grimaced as hot coffee sloshed over the rim of his takeaway cup and across his knuckles as someone collided with his back in the crowded cafe, but he managed to save his shirt. “‘S’okay,” he muttered, putting the cardboard cup down and grabbing a handful of napkins, allowing the clumsy stranger to guide him out of the flow of foot traffic within the store with a hand wrapped around his elbow as he did so.

“What’s the damage? You want me to grab you some ice or something?”

“It’s fine, re-eally,” Derek finished lamely when he finally looked up and caught sight of the other man, tongue momentarily tied at the sight of big doe eyes, plush lips and smooth skin that Derek just wanted to touch. “No permanent damage.”

“You sure?” tall, dark and hot-as-hell asked, expression warm and concerned as he hovered, hand lingering gently on Derek’s bare forearm. “At least let me buy you a new drink?”

“It’s okay,” he said, not minding the touch when it was effectively distracting him from his increasing anxiety at being crowded into such a small space with so many people.

“Hey- hey, come this way,” the guy said, peering closely at Derek before curling his (wide, long-fingered) hand in the crook of Derek’s elbow and leading him out of the store. The bitingly cold air once they hit the sidewalk was enough to relax the band around Derek’s chest, but it was a couple of moments before he could draw in a deep breath, the man at his side chattering blithely away as he did so.

“Thanks,” Derek said eventually, a little embarrassed at having been caught in the grips of anxiety.

“No problem,” came the reply with an easy smile to match. “I used to have some pretty awful anxiety as a kid; I get it.”

Derek ducked his head a little under the pretence of checking his knuckles. “It’s not usually so bad for me, but it’s been a while since I’ve been around so many people at once.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I’ve been… away. For work.”

The guy laughed. “You make that sound a lot more mysterious than it probably is.”

With a smile, Derek took a sip of his coffee, eyes closing for a moment at finally getting the good stuff for the first time in six months. “Maybe. I’ve been part of a research expedition in Antarctica. We got back in last night.”

The guy’s mouth fell open a little and Derek his best to try not to stare at it. “For real? That is very cool, dude!”

“Derek,” Derek told him with a wry smile.

“Stiles,” the stranger replied. “Are you busy right now? Can I ask you sixteen million questions about it?  _ Did you see penguins?” _

The last question as asked in an awed hush and Derek grinned outright. “Sure, I have some time.” Stiles’ fist pump should not have been as endearing as Derek found it, but he followed Stiles as they wandered down Avenida Prefectura Naval Argentina in Argentina’s Ushuaia towards the wharf, the wind biting at any exposed skin as they went.

The conversation jumped from topic to topic; Derek’s work as a microbiologist taking him to Antarctica to study penguin avulaviruses, Stiles’ travels leading him to ‘the southernmost city in the world’ just to do some exploring there, the difference in cold between Argentina and the U.S., and even such banal topics as favourite foods and books. Derek learned that Stiles lived in L.A and that the only family he had left was his dad, while Stiles learned that Derek’s family were large and loved nothing better than to interfere in his life. It was surprisingly easy conversation, and when they discovered that they were both flying out the following day, decided to meet for dinner.

They spent nearly two hours together before travel fatigue got the better of Derek and he admitted defeat. They parted with a handshake and promises to meet at seven for dinner, and when Derek returned to the hotel and fell asleep it was only after having checked his alarm three times to make sure he woke up in time to make it.

  
  


Dinner at María Lola was delicious and lively, and paired with incredible Argentinian wine. The black hake dish they ordered was cooked to buttery perfection, and the bottle of Bodegas Caro 2013 Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon they shared for dessert over rich chocolate mousse was to die for. The sun set as they ate, turning the sky vivid shades of purple, orange and pink and dying the snowy mountain peaks the same colours. The lively conversation, sounds and scents from the kitchen, the symphony of silverware, glasses touched together in celebration and the raucous outbursts of laughter made a soundtrack that Derek would forever associate with their shared time, and he wished for the ability to bottle the memory to take out and press to his chest on bad days in the future, certain it would fix all manner of ills.

Stiles appeared to be enjoying himself just as much, his cheeks ruddily blotched with good humour and wine, hands gesticulating carelessly and elegantly as he spoke, dark eyes sparkling in the low, warm light of the restaurant. He was an attentive and engaged conversationalist, and Derek was fascinated by the way he could and did contribute meaningfully no matter the topic. He was a font of esoteric information, and the connections he made between topics was startling. Derek didn’t think he’d had as much fun over a meal before in his entire life, or conversed with anyone as easily.

Again Stiles seemed as reluctant to end things as Derek was, so Derek suggested they go and see a movie.

“There’s some new sci-fi flick all the guys on base were raving about, but no one had a downloaded copy, so I never got to see it.”

For the first time all night Stiles faltered, appearing to almost miss his mouth as he raised his water glass for a drink. “Uh, what’s it called?”

“No idea. ‘Beyond-something’?”

“Life Beyond’?” Derek shrugged and Stiles laughed, but the tone of it was odd. “You really haven’t seen it?”

Derek rolled his eyes and sat back with the remainder or his wine and rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those stupid cinephiles who judges a person’s intellect or whatever based on whichever pretentious film-festival flicks they have or haven’t seen?”

Stiles’ answering smile was slow and started small, but soon stretched his mouth wide and made his eyes crinkle at the corners in a way that Derek found almost breathlessly appealing. “Oh, I’m absolutely not one of  _ those,”  _ he said disparagingly. “But let’s do it.”

Stiles insisted on paying, hip-checking Derek out of the way and insisting it was on him. Derek nudged him back and they left the restaurant like that, grinning at each other like idiots as they hailed a cab and headed for the cinema.

The previews had already started on the last showing for the night as they got there, but it was next to empty and they had their pick of seats. Derek let Stiles choose where, and they ended up in the middle towards the back, popcorn and far too much candy for two grown men spread out across the both of their laps.

The lights eventually dimmed and went out, and while Derek settled in he became aware of Stiles doing the opposite, his back rigid and his eyes staring fixedly at the screen.

Derek nudged him with his elbow. “You okay?”

“Peachy,” Stiles murmured back as the theme music began.

The opening scene was of a desolate extraterrestrial landscape with washed-out colours and icy mountains in the background. The camera gradually came down to track up from the feet of a figure plodding wearily across the rocky plain, showing off the man’s futuristic space suit with foreign insignia adorning it. The view changed to the man’s point of view, shaky and indicative of his struggle to continue on, and the landscape was explored further until the first explosion of the movie came and a swarm of drone-like spacecraft descended upon the hero. It was only after he had run for cover and managed to shelter under a rocky overhand studded with iridescent crystals that the camera showed the guy’s face and Derek froze, caught like a deer in headlights.

He watched for several long beats, unable to comprehend just what, exactly, he was looking at, before he looked from the screen to Stiles and then back again.

“When you said your dad was the only family you had,” he managed, not taking his eyes from the screen again, “I don’t suppose you neglected to mention an estranged twin brother who happens to be a movie star?”

Stiles’ huff of laughter was nearly silent. “Nope.”

“Huh.”

Sitting back, still shocked, Derek watched Stiles on the big screen as he played the part of what was essentially a space cowboy, absolutely certain that this movie was some kind of wish fulfilment for Stiles. He barely managed to follow the plot he was so distracted, but the cinematography and lighting were gorgeous, and he caught enough of it to know that Stiles wasn’t just an actor, he was a damned good one.

When the movie ended, they walked back out into the lobby together, neither of them speaking until they were standing outside and waiting for a cab.

“So,” Stiles began, then said nothing else.

“So,” Derek repeated. “Were you ever going to mention that you were a big name Hollywood star?”

“Not that big,” Stiles said with a weak smile. “You had no idea who I was.”

“I also spent the last six months at a research station in  _ Antarctica,” _ Derek pointed out, fairly.

“Okay, look-”

“I mean, not that it’s even a big deal, what with my sister being Laura Hale, and all.”

It was Stiles’ turn to look stymied. “Your sister is  _ who _ now?” His eyes slid to the side and then narrowed as they snapped back to Derek. “You?  _ You’re _ Der-Bear?”

“Oh hell,” Derek sighed, but Stiles’ face had lit up with glee.

“When Laura and I were working on  _ One Last Thing _ last year she was always talking about you, about what a nerd you are and how you like to pretend that you’re a hardass, but also how your eyebrows are the way to tell what you’re really thinking.”

“Oh yeah?” Derek asked. “And what are they telling you now?”

His triumphant grin fading a little, Stiles stepped closer to Derek as the wind picked up, whipping mercilessly around them. “Looks like they’re saying something about how you want to kiss me, prove your sister wrong about what a bore you are.”

“I’ll show you bore,” Derek growled, grabbing Stiles and tugging him close to plant a deep kiss directly onto his distractingly-mobile mouth.

When they broke apart, Derek was smugly pleased to notice that Stiles looked distinctly dazed. “Laura is such a liar,” he breathed delightedly, then hauled Derek back in for another kiss.

  
  


_ Three years later… _

  
  


Letting himself into the apartment, Derek kicked Stiles’ shoes beneath the rack by the door and toed off his own to join them.

“Stiles, can you  _ please _ stop telling reporters that I’m ‘very into penguins?’” he called, dropping his laptop and folders onto the end of the dining table as he passed. “It makes me sound like a weirdo.”

“You are a weirdo,” Stiles called back from somewhere in the apartment.

Running a fond finger over the frame on the wall of a photo of Stiles sitting on the snow and surrounded by curious penguins was one of Derek’s favourites. They had travelled back to Antarctica early in their relationship, and Derek wondered idly if Stiles would like to go back some time. He began climbing the spiral staircase to the bedroom but stopped halfway as Stiles bounded down to meet him.

He was dressed in Derek’s ‘mess with the penguin, get the painguin’ shirt and a pair of sweats, and looked like he’d just woken up from a nap. “Besides,” he added, taking another step down to rest his arms over Derek’s shoulders and kiss him hello, “it’s true.”

Rolling his eyes, Derek kissed him back. “It’s a  _ part _ of what I do, not  _ all _ that I do.”

“I know,” Stiles grinned cheekily, “but the mental image of you just being a penguin fanboy is too adorable to pass up.”

Derek sighed and grabbed Stiles around the top of the thighs, carrying him back upstairs to drop him onto their unmade bed. “Laura’s coming back to town in a week; she wants to meet up for dinner,” he said as he pulled his shirt up and over his head before joining Stiles on the bed.

“She messaged me this morning,” Stiles confirmed. “Wants to talk to me about a movie she’s in talks to direct.”

Snorting a laugh, Derek let Stiles arrange them until they were tangled up together the way they both liked. “Because you’re so good at doing what she tells you to?”

“Hey!” Stiles exclaimed, “If it’s for the job, for the  _ art _ of it, I can.”

Derek mumbled something out pretentious snobs and laughed as Stiles attempted to kiss him silent. Once they’d both settled, he shifted a little until he could reach into his pocket, ignoring the way his heart had begun to race and his palms were sweating.

“I’ve got something for you,” he said, handing the palm-sized object to Stiles, watching closely as he took it and eventually began to laugh.

“Is this you making your intentions known?” Stiles asked, rubbing his thumb over the large, perfectly smooth rock Derek had handed him, “Because it’s been three years now, and-”

“Open it.”

His laughter suddenly dying off, Stiles felt around the rock until he discovered the tiny hidden hinge and his eyes widened, flicking between the rock and Derek, and then back again. He swallowed hard and popped the rock open, revealing the fact that it had been hollowed out, lined with velvet, and now housed a slim band engraved with a simple geometric filigree.

“Marry me?” Derek asked, heart in his throat even as Stiles began to smile, wide enough that Derek thought he could die happy for having seen it.

“Of course I will!” Stiles exclaimed, sliding the ring onto his finger and kissing Derek senseless until he began to laugh and had to sit up to take a full breath.

“What?” Derek asked, confused.

“Oh my god, wait until I tell Laura you proposed like a penguin,” he gasped. “Wait until the  _ press _ finds out!”

Derek just rolled his eyes and tackled Stiles to the bed to distract him from that happening.

**Author's Note:**

> I am in exam hell and procrastinating effectively by writing this trash. I stand by it.


End file.
